Vertical mixing apparatus or machine



June 10 1924.

A c. F. BULLOCK VERTICAL MIXING APPARATUS 0R MA-cnm Filed Feb. 20, 1924 we fiezm'cz, 7212x0604 Patented June 10, 1924.

CHARLES FREDERICK BULLOCK, OF MUNGY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 S?RQUT, WALDRO'N' & 00., OF MUNGY, PENNSYLVANIA, A C013,]?ORA'IION QF PERNSYLVANIA.

VERTICAL IVIIXING' APPARATUS QR MACHINE.

Application filed FebruaryZO, 1924. Serial No. 694,097.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .CHARLES FREDERICK BULLOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muncy, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vertical Mixing Apparatus or Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to'machines or apparatus for mixing ground grain or other food products, such as flour, corn meal, bran. alfalfa, hay or other cattle feed.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple, eificientand inexpensive apparatus of the character referred to, consisting of few parts that may be easily assembled and taken apart, and which is reliable and selfcleaning in operation and not liable to become clogged or get out of order, and which will efiect a more uniform admixture of comminuted dry materials than is .possible with mixing machines as heretofore ordinarily constructed and in a shorter space of time.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and then pointed.

out in the claims at the end of the description.

In said drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mixing apparatus embodying my invention; I

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of the same, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views, illustrating in side elevation and plan view, respectively, an agitating and cleaning device adapted to keep the inner walls of the mixing chamber clean around the discharge opening and to facilitate the discharge of the mixture means of fastening bolts passing through apertures in said feet. Secured to the upper end of the cylinderis a bridge'tree or spider F having a centrally disposedbearing for the upper end of the vertical shaft of the spiral conveyor C, said bearing being provided with the usual stufling'box, as shown. In suitable bearings on the upper end of the cylinder A, a shaft G is mounted at right angles to the vertical conveyor shaft. The

The cylshaft G carriesa beveled gear or pinion g,

which meshes with a larger beveled gear H fixed on the upper end of the conveyor shaft, for imparting rotary motion tothe latter; said shaft G being provided with a pulley or band wheel I for connection by means of a belt with the driving shaft of an engine or other power machine. The step box or casting B at the lower end of the .mixing chamber is provided with a suitable oiling device, as at b Fig. 20f the drawings. I I

A combined agitating conveying and cleaning device K is provided at the lower end of the spiral conveyor, whereby the material around the lower end of the conveyor is agitated and its discharge through the out-let opening in the bottom or lower operator is saved the annoyance and waste of time incident 'tocleaning the mixing chamber by handappliances as heretofore in using mixingapparatus of known construction. In the-form shown, the agitating, conveying and cleaning device is in the form of an angle iron having at one, end of a horizontal bark at substantially semicircular orsemi-hub-like portion 70 for at-- tachment to the lower end ofthe conveyor by suitable fastening bolts, saidhub-like part having holes therein which register with holes in the lower end of the conveyor or conveyor shaft to receive said bolts, thus adapting the angle iron attachment to be readily removed and replaced. The horizontal bar extends outwardly to the inner inclined wall of the bottom portion of the mixing chamber, at which point there is an upward turn or bend at an obtuse angle to the horizontal portion, forming a cleaner arm k which extends in. a plane substantially parallel with the inner inclined or tapering wall of the bottom portion of the mixing chamber. This device serves to agitate and convey the mixed material towards the discharge opening or outlet 6 and at the same tim serves to keep the inner wall of the mixing chamber clean for a distance above the bottom of the chamber suiiicient to insure a smooth and clean or polished surface below the point at which the inner wall of the chamber is kept clean by the descending current of material within said chamber. I thus provide a very simple, el'licient, durable and inexpensive mixing apparatus which may be used for mixing food products or cattle feed in a dry state without undue heating. The apparatus also avoids the trouble and waste of time incident to using mixing machines or appara- .tus as heretofore constructed, in which the interior wall of the mixing chamber is liable to become coated to such an extent as to seriously interfere with the mixing operation, which renders it necessary at the end of each operation for the operator to get into the mixing chamber for the purpose of cleaning the inner wall thereof by means of hand appliances. In operation, the materials to be mixed in a dry state are introduced through an opening or openings in the top of the mixing chamber, filling the same to a point about on a level with the upper end of the spiral conveyor, whereupon rotary motion is imparted to the conveyor shaft. The rotating conveyor produces an upwardly moving column of material which is cast off at its upper end and caused to descend by gravity around the inner side of the mixing chamber, thus producing a counter current or downwardly moving mass of material which may be again raised by the conveyor, and this op eration is continued until a thorough and uniform admixture of the dry materials is effected. When the desired mixture has been attained, the slide valve D is opened and as the conveyor continues its rotary movement there will be a continuous mixing and discharging until the contents of the chamber are emptied.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mixing machine of the character described, comprisinga vertical mixing chamber having a lower end-portion converging from a point near said end to its bottom; said bottom being provided with a valvecontrolled discharge opening at one side thereof, a vertically disposed spiral conveyor revolubly supported within and centrally of said chamber, so as to provide an unobstructed annular space surrounding the conveyor; said conveyor being adapted to produce an upwardly moving column of material which is thrown off at the upper end of the conveyor into said annular spac and caused to descend by the force of gravity, and an agitating and cleaning device at the lower end of the conveyor, consisting of a horizontal bar projecting outwardly over and close to the bottom of the mixing chamber and terminating in an upwardly and outwardly inclined arm arranged close to the inner converging wall of said mixing chamber; a clear space being provided between said arm and said conveyor through which the descending material may pass back to the conveyor.

2. A machine of the character described, comprising a vertical mixing chamber having its inner wall converging from a point near its lower end to its bottom and having a substantially flat bottom provided with an outlet opening at one side thereof, a spiral conveyor revoltubly supported. within and centrally of said mixing chamber, so as to provide an annular unobstructed space surrounding the conveyor through which the material raised by the conveyor may descend, and a horizontal bar having one end secured to the conveyor-shaft and extend ing outwardly therefrom in close proximity to said bottom and terminating in an upwardly and outwardly inclined arm arranged in close proximity to said inner converging wall; said arm and the inner wall of the mixing chamber being spaced from said conveyor so that the descending material may pass freely back to the conveyor and the said bar and arm being adapted to agi tate and convey mixed material toward said outlet opening and also to clean the bottom and inner wall of the mixing chamber around the lower end of the conveyor.

3. A machine for mixing food products comprising a vertical oblong mixing chamber of cylindrical form having the inner wall thereof inwardly and downwardly inclined from a point near its bottom to the lower end thereof, said chamber having an inlet opening at its top and an outlet in its bottom at one side thereof, a vertically disposed spiral conveyor revolubly supported within and centrally of said chamber so as to provide an annular space betweenthe conveyor and the inner wall of the cylinder; said space converging toward the cylinder bottom, a combined agitator, cleaner and discharging devic at the lower end of and revoluble with said conveyor, said device having a horizontally disposed member extending from the conveyor to the inner wall of the mixing chamber and having an upwardly and outwardly inclined cleaner arm arranged in close proximity to the inclined wall of the mixing chamber and spaced from said conveyor, and a valve controlling the outlet at the lower end of said chamber.

4. A machine for mixing food products comprising a vertically disposed cylindrical mixing chamber having an inlet opening in its top and formed or provided at its lower end with a downwardly and inwardly inclined inner wall, said end having secured thereto a bottom-plate having an outlet-opening therein at one side thereof, a vertically disposed spiral conveyor revolubly supported within and centrally of said cylinder, an annular space being provided between the conveyor and the inner wall of the mixing chamber; said space converging toward the bottom of the chamber from a point near said bottom, means on the upper end of said cylinder for rotating said conveyor, and a device on the lower end of said conveyor for agitating the material around the conveyor and moving it toward said outlet; said device having an upwardly extending arm spaced from the conveyor and adapted to clean the inner wall of the mixing chamher around the lower end of said conveyor.

A mixing machine comprising a vertical mixing chamber, a vertically disposed spiral conveyor revolubly supported within said chamber and adapted to produce an upwardly moving current centrally of a descending current produced by gravity, a discharge valve in the bottom of said chamber, and means revoluble with the conveyor to facilitate the discharge of material through said valve and to clean the bottom and inner side wall of said chamber around the lower end of the conveyor shaft; said device consisting of a horizontal bar secured at one end to the conveyor shaft and extending outwardly therefrom close to the bottom of the chamber and terminating in an upwardly extending cleaner arm arranged close to said inner wall and separated from the conveyor so that an unobstructed space is provided between it and the conveyor for the descending material to pass back to the conveyor.

6. In combination, a vertical mixing chamber having a lower end-portion construoted in the form of an inverted frustum of a hollow cone, a bottom-plate or closure for the lower end of said cone having a valve-controlled outlet-opening therein, a spiral conveyor revolubly supported centrally of said chamber, and an agitating and cleaning device secured on the lower end of the conveyor shaft; said device consisting of a horizontal bar secured at one end to the conveyor shaft and extending therefrom close to the bottom and inner inclined wall of said hollow cone and terminating in an upwardly and outwardly inclined cleaner arm spaced from said conveyor and arranged in close proximity to said inclined wall.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAS. J. PoLLARn, FRED M. SCHNEIDER. 

